Tingling or burning feeling. Sharp pains or cramps. Muscle weakness. Extreme sensitivity to touch — for some people, even a bedsheet's weight can be painful.
Diabetic neuropathy symptoms usually begin in the toes and work their way towards the head. The first symptoms you may experience are tingling and numbness in the toes or fingers. This may resemble the feeling of “pins and needles” when a foot that has fallen asleep begins to wake up.
This type of neuropathy often affects nerves in the thighs, hips, buttocks or legs. It can also affect the abdominal and chest area. Symptoms are usually on one side of the body, but may spread to the other side.
Make an appointment with your health care provider if:
You have pain during or after walking. You have swelling in both legs. Your pain gets worse. Your symptoms don't get better after a few days of treating them at home.
Diabetic patients often experience neuropathy in their feet and might wonder if their symptoms are a form of carpal tunnel. In fact, there is a similar condition called tarsal tunnel syndrome. Like carpal tunnel, it mimics symptoms of diabetic neuropathy.
Avoid soaking your feet, as this can lead to dry skin. Dry your feet gently, especially between the toes. Moisturize your feet and ankles with lotion or petroleum jelly. Do not put oils or creams between your toes — the extra moisture can lead to infection.
Tingling, burning, or pain in your feet. Loss of sense of touch or ability to feel heat or cold very well. A change in the shape of your feet over time. Loss of hair on your toes, feet, and lower legs.
Tingling, numbness, pain in the arms, legs, hands, or feet — these are all common signs of diabetic neuropathy, or nerve damage. Up to 70 percent of people with diabetes will develop some type of neuropathy, making it one of the most common side effects of this disease.
Sugar. Unfortunately, sugar is on top of the list of foods that may increase muscle and joint inflammation. Numerous studies suggest that processed sugars release pro-inflammatory substances in the body, causing further inflammation in the joints.
Symptoms. Tingling or burning in the feet and legs may be an early sign of nerve damage in them. These feelings often start in your toes and feet, but can also start in the fingers and hands. You may also have deep pain or aching or just a heavy feeling.
Patients of diabetes should be very cautious while consuming over-the-counter pain medications like Advil as these drugs are associated with a high risk of a coronary event. The increased risk for a heart disease in diabetics is further worsened if the patient consumes medications like Ibuprofen.
He added, however, that "other studies have shown that correction of prediabetes by normalizing blood sugar levels through weight loss, diet, and exercise can halt progression of neuropathy, and this [study] reinforces that concept."
Gastrointestinal symptoms occur commonly in people with diabetes, and include gastro-esophageal reflux, bloating, nausea, constipation, diarrhea and fecal incontinence.
People with diabetes are at risk of high blood sugar, which can lead to nerve damage and slow wound healing. This can lead to pain, tingling, ulceration, and other symptoms in the legs.
A lack of this B vitamin can happen to anyone, but the risk is higher on metformin, especially over time. When you don't get enough, it can cause peripheral neuropathy, the numbness or tingling in your feet and legs that's already a risk with diabetes.
PN was strongly associated with earlier mortality. Mean survival time for those with PN was 10.8 years, compared with 13.9 years for subjects without PN. PN was also indirectly associated through impaired balance.
Stage One: Sporadic Numbness and Pain
You may experience periods of pain or numbness in your hands or feet. Note that these symptoms are easily manageable at this stage. Neuropathy at this juncture typically stems from excess sugar consumption. Change your diet immediately if you notice an occurrence of these symptoms.
Untreated neuropathy leads to complications
Numbness may seem like a reprieve after you've been dealing with pain, but constant numbness can lead to serious complications, such as a foot ulcer. You might scratch your foot, and without properly functioning sensory nerves, you may not realize the extent of your injury.